Kim Thompson, RIP

Kim Thompson passed away this morning. He was an immensely important figure in comics history. On a personal note, he was very supportive of me and Tim, and we were thrilled to know him just a little bit over the last couple of years. We’ll miss him. Gary Groth wrote his friend and partner’s obituary at the Fantagraphics site.

I “knew” Kim from my stint at the long-defunct message board (1998-2002) and at Comicon, and I always dropped by the Fantagraphics table at SPX. I really liked him, and I admired so greatly his work as a publisher and his love for the comics medium (not to mention his taste in movies). I especially enjoyed his brilliant, funny, pompous, and often cruel ripostes at the various comics boards. He’d post his opinion on a subject, then become exasperated when the clowns of outrage would respond, and then the real fun would begin. Often, Kim would “bow out” of a thread when he felt he’d spoken his piece, but more times than not he found it impossible not to just add one more thing. I found an archived thread from 1999 at Comicon that is the quintessential Kim.

“Unless I’m very wildly mistaken, the first ad hominem sallies in our tempestuous relationship sprang forth from your mighty keyboard entirely unprovoked by me, and I think if someone were to go and tally them, the weight would be predominantly on your side. (I do concede I was the first to call you a “twit” on this particular thread, although I didn’t realize all the insult odometers were reset to zero with every new thread.)

I console myself with the thought that my sagacious and wise posts have contributed to making you the better person you are today. No need to thank me.”

One of the few MVPs of comics who didn’t actually create comics of his own. Off the top of my head, I have Tardi, Trondheim, & Jason books on my shelf in large part because of his efforts to build any kind of market for them in the US. I am certain that my comics reading habits through the decades would have turned out much differently were it not for his influence as part of both Fantagraphics and TCJ in publishing and promoting discussion about all manner of international and North American comics. May his legacy be an ongoing growth in the number of international comics artists finding a friendly market for their works to be translated in North America.

Terribly sad news and I know the crew at Fanta, particularly Gary, must be feeling beyond gutted by this. I’m sad at the numerous labors of love that Kim will be unable to create, much sadder at the fact that he won’t be around to enjoy those works and the creations of others, and to take pleasure in the maturity of the comics and graphic novel field that he worked his whole life to nurture and develop. RIP Kim and my sincere condolences to his friends, family and industry colleagues.

Like John E Williams says above, I felt like I knew him because he was such an awesomely entertaining presence back in the “glory” days of those message boards. His comments were always smart or a lot of fun or both, and he had such passion for great comics. Really sorry to hear this, condolences to his family and friends.

Having just asked the girl at the Fanta tables at CAKE this past weekend how he was doing (she had no news), this announcement stopped me cold. I’d started to think of cancer as a terrible but largely treatable illness, but, of course, it is now except when it isn’t. Just the crappiest news.

That Fantagraphics worker added that Kim was a sweetheart. Well, I can hardly say that’s how I’d characterize him based on all of our online interactions (I almost wrote “headbuttings”), but especially in recent times, he was usually helpful, articulate, witty, fair, and an always welcome presence. I’ll miss him.

And, as a gesture of respect, I might even pick up one of those Gil Jordan books that always had me scratching ny head and wondering, “Really? Gil Jordan?”